Theadore f



(No Model.)

T. F. PHILLIPS.

SHAFT HOLDER.

No. 577,320. Patented Feb. 16, 1897.

UNTTEE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEADORE F. PHILLIPS, OF WABASH, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EMANUEL N. HOOT, OF SAME PLACE.

SHAFT-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 577,320, dated February 16, 1897.

Application filed May 23, 1896. Serial No. 592 847. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, THEADORE F. PHILLIPS, of Wabash, in the county of Wabash and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shaft-Holders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

This invention has relation to shaft-holders and holdback attachments for single harness.

The object of the invention is to simplify the use of harness for light vehicles, such as buggies, light wagons, and the like, and also possible by the easy working of the parts and also to insure safety without increasing the cost.

To this end my invention consists in applying to the shaft of a vehicle a split metallic ferrule made of spring-steel provided with a collar, also of the same kind and metal, on one of its ends. This ferrule is made to fit the shaft and to be capable of sliding freely thereon, but not so loosely as to rattle. To the side or bottom of the split spring ring or ferrule I attach a holdback fixture, also made of metal. This structure also serves to hold in place the shaft-strap, which will move and adjust, itself to the movement of the animal. The holdback projects from the rear end rearwardly and downwardly, to be attached to the breeching or other holdback device, the ferrule being kept in place by a split collar or thimble, which is also made of spring-steel and is secured on the shaft at the proper distance to accommodate the length of the horse, all of which will be more fully described in detail hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a portion of a shaft and of the shaftholding strap with my attachment secured thereto; Fig. 2, a cross-section of the same;

Fig. 3, an end view of the collar or thimble; and Fig. 4, an end view of the ferrule, the dotted lines showing the thickness of the metal of the body thereof. Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of the guide or holdback detached. Fig. 6 shows a modification of the collar E, which is much lighter and capable of attachment to the shaft without slipping it over the end.

Like letters will indicate like parts in all the figures, in which A shows the shaft; B, the shaft-holding strap; 0, the split spring-ferrule, and D the holdback, having recess C6 and projection b and loop 0.

E is the split collar or thimble, having shoulder d. This thimble is secured to the shaft by screws or other fastenings and is properly adjusted to keep the ferrule C from slipping backward on the shaft.

The collar f of the ferrule O is designed to fit up snugly all around against the shoulder 01 of the thimble E to keep the ferrule O in place and from slipping backward when the holdback is in use in connection with the bre'eching.

In operation the thimble E is attached to the shaft at the desired point to fit the animal to be worked. The ferrule 0, carried by the shaft-holding strap B, is then passed onto the shaft until it is arrested and prevented from going farther backward on the shaft by the said thimble E. This is accomplished by the collar f of the ferrule G fitting snugly against the shoulder 61 of the thimble E. The holdback-pieces D, being rigidly secured to the ferrule, are thereby held in the same manner; so it will be readily seen that when the animal is hitched to the vehicle by the 0 tugs (not shown) and the breeching attached to the holdback D the ferrule G will be held tightly against the thimble E and further backward movement prevented.

I am aware that it is not new to use a split ferrule nor a holdback per se, but I am not aware that a split thimble provided with a shoulder and secured to the shaft and cooperating with a holdback and ferrule combined was ever before used.

Therefore what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A shaft-holder and holdbaok consisting of an adjustable thimble, a split ferrule, and the holdback carried by said split ferrule substantially as described.

2. In a shaft-holder and holdback, the con1- bination with the shaft, of the adjustable thi1nble,'a split ferrule, a holdback carried by said split ferrule, a recess in said holdbaek, a strap passing through said recess, and a projection and loop for the breeching as set forth.

3. As an article of manufacture, the holdback D, the recess a, the projection b, the loop 0, and spring-ferrule O, as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THEADORE F. PHILLIPS.

W'itnesses:

A. H. PLUMMER, G. E. BUsoN. 

